46 tests positive

A Long Weekend

'You're running a little warm but it's not a fever. Nothing to be worried about. Tylenol should sort you out'. The doctor said, much to Joe's relief. 'You're doing well', he reassured Joe. 'Your body is fighting hard and now getting used to the change in medication too so you need to rest today', he said, his tone not leaving any room for doubt. 'May I ask if you can take a day off today, it is Saturday', the doctor asked. 'Well, let's just say I have something I need to keep an eye on but for the most part, yes I can take a rest day', Joe agreed, seeing a long and lonely day stretching in front of him. He checked his watch, 9.40am. He decided to have his breakfast and ring Jill.

'Mmmmm, Joe, how are you honey', Jill's sleepy voice filled the line. She peered blearily at the phone and selected the speaker allowing her to drop the device on the bed and stay curled up. She had gone to bed thinking she wouldn't sleep but the activities of the night before, spent baking in the kitchen, and all of the calls and messages, not to mention worry, had all piled up and she had actually slept soundly. So soundly in fact that Joe's call had awakened her and she was struggling to become fully conscious. 'I had to ring the doctor baby', Joe began. Her eyes snapped open. 'Why?', she asked. 'I woke up with a fever', he said enthusiastically. 'You've got a fever?', she queried, her voice rising, readying to throw off the covers and make her way to Washington, restrictions be damned. 'Well, no. I thought I had but the Doc said I was just a little hot and that it was my body fighting the virus. He said I'm doing really well actually', Joe said proudly. 'I've had my breakfast and taken my medication and I think the Tylenol is working because I feel quite good really', he continued. Jill cast a derisive eye at the phone, her heart rate beginning to come back to normal after the initial concern had worn off, and burrowed back under the covers. Men could be such babies she thought to herself, before changing her mind and smiling endearingly at the thought of Joe sitting waiting for the doctor.

She listened, half dozing, as he recounted every single thing he did last night from the moment she had hung up the call with him it seemed. Almost an hour later she told him that she needed to get up and take a shower and dress. 'Ok baby, I'll just stay on the line', he said. She thought quickly. 'Why don't you ring Hunt honey and fill him in? I bet he's waiting to hear from you. I'll call you back in a little while when I've had my breakfast.' She lay back on the pillow for another moment before finally getting up. She laughed aloud to the empty room. Poor Joe. They'd all need to fill in and help keep him occupied. She knew she could depend on the family, they all adored him and would do anything to make his isolation more bearable.

She quickly showered and dressed and got to work over her breakfast. Grabbing a notepad and pen from a pile she drew up a plan, complete with a timetable, aimed at keeping him sane. Soon the counter was filled with coloured post-it notes, her strategy for the coming weekend laid clear. To her at least. She set up a second family group on WhatsApp, 'Pop's Isolation' feeling a little guilty when she didn't add Joe. She typed her instructions, adding snaps of the post-it's and tagging kids as appropriate. She waited for blue checks to appear beside everyone's name before they got to work executing her plan. Pleased with herself she made fresh coffee and read a few pages of her book. Finally able to escape for a few moments at least. The phone pinged mercilessly all day as they bounced Joe from caller to caller, texting ahead with a warning, telling Nana they were doing their job as requested. Joe spent the day happily sitting on the balcony of the White House fielding calls from his adoring family.

By early evening Jill had her chores completed around the house and sat for a moment. Next she needed to arrange her week and prepare for three, four more days of Joe's isolation. The doctor had rung her separately and told her that she would have to wait five more days after that until they could see each other. They hadn't told Joe that yet, both agreeing to see how the virus would progress before landing that information on him. She did the math. Next Sunday was the earliest she could see him, and that was dependent on him beating the virus and testing negative. She felt the tears prickle at the back of her eyes and this time she couldn't stop them flowing. She was worried. She couldn't deny it. His schedule was punishing, the media hits even more so. Lately everything seemed to be piling up. His agenda seemed stuck. She was sorry now that she had openly said as much at the recent fundraiser. It was difficult sometimes. She tried to be honest, she needed the supporters to see that his vision was still the same; ambitious, life changing for folks, would change the trajectory of the country. But he needed help, he needed at a minimum two more senators who would break the stalemate in Congress and get some action going.